Valve has released the updated Steam mobile app on Android and iOS, revamped with improvements to its framework and user interface design. The new and improved app also comes with new features, including the ability to download Steam games remotely from your phone and log in with a QR code.
Remote game downloading is the most notable feature to come with the revamped Steam mobile app, and it works the same way as the PlayStation app. You can download games directly to your PC so that they will be ready for you to play once you get home. An added bonus to this feature is that the Steam app now displays all the games in your library.
The QR code option helps you log into Steam immediately instead of manually with your username and password. It uses two-factor authentication. A confirmation page will pop up in the app after scanning the code with your phone, giving you details like a map and geolocation of the device you’re using Steam on to verify your identity and ensure that only you are approving your own login attempt. And if your password is leaked in some way and someone tries to log into your Steam account, you can decline that attempt.
Even if you still want to sign into Steam the old-fashioned way, the Steam app will still ask if you want to accept or decline the login attempt. Valve said it is working on bringing the QR code login to the Steam Deck but hasn’t given a timetable to integrate that.
Meta wants to make its AI feel like a cute tiny friend through a newly launched pet journal app called Waddle World. Think of it as Tamagotchi, but the pixelated pet can actually chat with you and doodle little illustrations based on what you tell it about your day. Right now, this free app is available on iOS and Android only in the Philippines, with access limited to adults.
Waddle World is a pet that wants to know about your day
What if checking your drinking water for dangerous chemicals were as simple as plugging a tiny gadget into your smartphone? Researchers in Japan have developed a compact sensor that could make that possible, potentially bringing sophisticated water contamination testing out of expensive laboratories and into people's hands.
Scientists at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) have created a portable device capable of detecting extremely low concentrations of PFAS, commonly known as "forever chemicals." The findings were published in the journal Biosensors and Bioelectronics, which demonstrate how an inexpensive sensor and a smartphone could make identifying potentially harmful chemicals in water a lot easier.
ShiftCam is adding to its range of iPhone filmmaking accessories with ProRig+, a revised version of its modular camera rig that has dedicated controls for focus, zoom, shutter, and shooting modes. The new system launches on Kickstarter with the ProControl remote, giving mobile creators a higher level of hands-on control without having to constantly tap their iPhone’s screen.
The announcement comes soon after ShiftCam introduced the original ProRig, developed with feedback from Apple. The original model is expected to ship in the coming weeks, while ProRig+ will be a more advanced remote and will be delivered to backers in February 2027. The Kickstarter campaign has also been honored with the platform’s “Projects We Love” designation.